Recorder for bell-buoys.



No. 761,630. 4 PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

J. A. FAIRBANKS.

RECORDER FOR BELL BUOYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1901. RENEWED 00100. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 snEETs-sHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 31, 1904.

2 SHBETSSHBET 2.

J. A. FAIRBANKS.

RECORDER FOR BELL BUOYS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1901. RENEWED OUT. so. 1903.

NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Eatented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. FAIRBANKS, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY R. BRADLEY, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

RECORDER FOR BELL-BUOYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,630, dated. May 31, 1904.

Application filed August 30,1901. Renewed October 30, 1903. Serial No. 179,236. (No model.)

To all w/wnt it may concern.-

obstructions in a channel, harbor, or waterway; and it has for its object not alone to cause a bell or other sounding instrument or apparatus located on the buoy to be sounded at proper intervals by an electric device attached to such. buoy and connected by means of wires to a battery or other current-generator and to a circuit-breaker located on shore, at a lighthouse-station, a light-ship, or other suitable place in the vicinity of the bell-buoy, but also to automatically convey a corresponding record to the shore or light-ship station, so as to indicate that the bell-buoy striking apparatus is working properly, as will hereinafter he more fully shown and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the complete apparatus, showing the electrical connection between the bell-buoy anchored at sea and the shore or light-ship station. Fig. 2 represents a plan and diagrammatic view of the device, showing the wire connections between the electrical device on the bell-buoy and the shore or light-ship station; and Fig.

8 represents a detailed longitudinal section of the electrical device on the bell-buoy, its striking mechanism, sound-contact device, and wire connections, parts of said figure being shown in elevation.

Similar letters refer to similar parts wherthe bell or other sounding instrument O is secured, as shown. On the frame B, preferably above the bell O, is located a suitable electric striking apparatus, and I have for this purpose shown in the drawings, Fig. 3, a solenoid-spool D, within which is located a core E, as is common in solenoid electrical devices. To the lower end of said solenoidcore E is attached a head F, which is pivotally connected, by means of a pin or pin and roll f, to the forked end g of the hammerlever G, which is pivotally connected at g to the plate H, on which the bell O is secured, as shown.

G is the hammer, secured in a suitable manner to the end of the hammer-lever G, as shown.

To the ends of the wire on the solenoid-spool D are metallically connected the wires 61 and (Z, the former leading through a battery or current-generator I to a rotary circuit-closer K, located on the battery-station shore or lightship station L, and the other wire (Z is electrically connected to a brush or arm M, which during the rotation of the circuit-closer K is intermittently brought in metallic contact 'with pegs or projections 7 In on said rotary circuit-closer, and as one of such pegs or projections comes in metallic contact with the brush IWI the circuit is closed through the solenoid-spool D, thus causing the core E to be drawn upward, and. thereby causing thehammer G to strike the bell C. When the circuit through the solenoid is broken, the core E and its head F fall by gravity to the position shown in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the hammer G away from the bell, as shown in said Fig. 3. The circuit-closer K may be rotated by means of any suitable motor N, geared or otherwise connected to the axle of said circuitcloser, as represented in Fig. 2.

Each buoy is to be marked with a number to identify its position on the chart, and I therefore locate the pegs 76 on the drum K in groups corresponding to the number of the bell-buoy for which the circuit-closer is used. Thus if the bell-buoy is marked 12 I arrange the pegs in in groups of three, with an increased space between the first and second peg as compared with the space between the second and third peg. It will thus be seen that when the drum K is rotated it will cause the bell C to be struck first one blow, followed by a pause, and two blows in quick succession, thereby notifying the mariner on a foggy or dark day or night that he is in the vicinity of buoy No. 12. One circuit-closing drum may be used for a number of bell-buoys, it being only necessary to arrange upon it additional rows of pegs with sweepers or contact-arms connected in a similar manner to bell-buoys numbered accordingly.

It is very essential in a device of this kind that an automatic record should be conveyed from the bell-buoy to the shore or light-shi station, showing that the striking apparatus on the bell-buoy is working properly, so as to give notice to the man in charge in case the striking device on the bell-buoyfrom any cause should fail to act properly,- and for this purpose I employ a recording device, as follows: To the solenoid or other suitable part of the bellbuoy mechanism is preferably secured a plate or frame 0 in a bearing, on which is vertically adjustable a sound-contact rod P, provided with a sound-contact point p, normally held by means of a spring 1), in metallic contact with a sound-contact point p", to whichis connected a wire 1), that is grounded by being attached to any desired part of the bell-supporting frame or other metal part of the bell-buoy device, as shown in Fig. 3. Above the soundcontact point p is located a sound -contact point p", which is connected by means of a wire C to an electromagnet Q, located at the station L, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, said magnet Q being connected toa battery or currentgenerator Q and to the ground at 9. (Shown in said Figs. 1 and 2.) Preferably to the solenoid-head F is attached a plate or extension f, through which the sound-contact rod P is preferably guided. 2) is a collar or projection adjustably secured on the soundcontact rod P, as shown in Fig. 3. It will thus be seen that as the solenoid-core E is moved upward when the current is closed through the solenoid D it causes the soundcontact rod P to be moved upward sufficiently to bring the sound-contact point p in metallic contact with the upper sound-contact point p while still in metallic contact with the lower sound-contact point 3/, thus causing the current to be closed through the wire d" and electromagnet Q. The closing of the circuit through the magnet Q attracts to it a springpressed armature-lever R, provided with a stylus, marker, or equivalent recording device 1, adapted to make a suitable record upon a traveling ribbon S, leading from a reel T to and between suitable rotary feed-rollers U U. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 2.) Said feed-rollers I may be set in rotation by any suitable mecl anism without departing from the essence of my invention. During the descent of the solenoid-core E the sound-contact rod P is forced downward to the position shown in 3 by the influence of the spring 7) or by the plate f coming in contact with a button 21, secured to the lower end of the sound-contact rod P, as shown in Fig. 3, thus causing the circuit through the magnet Q and battery Q, to be broken by the sound-contact point p moving out of contact with the sound-contact point 7)", as shown in said Fig. 3.

I desire to state that I do not wish to confine myself to this precise apparatus for conveying a record from the bell-buoy to the shore or station, as this may be done in any other electrical manner or by equivalent means without departing from the essence of my invention.

In practice I prefer to arrange within the buoy A a tube A, through which the wires (Z (Z d are led from the electrical strikin device to the shore or station apparatus, and in practice such wires are insulated from each other in the form of a cable supported on the sea-bottom between the bell-buoy and the shore or station, as the case may be.

To the bell-supporting plate H is hermetically secured a suitable hood or cover \V, within which is contained the electric device for operating the hammer Gr, as well as the sound-contact device for automatically conveying a record to the shore or station L, as represented in Figs. 1 and 3.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and operation of my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim A bell-buoy provided with means for anchoring at sea and having an audible signaling mechanism arranged thereon and means for electrically actuating said signaling mechanism, of wires leading from said actuating mechanism to an electric generator located at a station distant from the buoy, an automatic circuit closer and breaker arranged to intermittingly close and break the circuit to produce signals corresponding with the chartnumber assigned to the buoy, and a recorder located at the station and so electrically connected to the buoy signaling mechanism as to record at the station the proper working of the signaling mechanism on the buoy, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. FAIRBANKS.

WVitnesses:

ALBAN ANDnicN, LAURIIZ N. MOLLER. 

